View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
July 29, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 11:43am

NUJ agrees terms for Five News transfer

By Press Gazette

Dear: ‘NUJ has won concessions’

The NUJ and ITN have reached a provisional agreement on the transfer terms for journalists when Sky News takes over the Five News contract in January next year.

It is understood that over the fivemonth period before the contract transfers to Sky News, some staff will be offered positions on the Five News bulletin and others will be offered jobs elsewhere at Sky News or ITN.

Sky News and Five agreed not to interview external candidates until they had interviewed current Five News staff who wished to move to the new bulletin.

A total of 42 journalists were eligible to apply for Sky News jobs; 34 were interviewed and will find out whether they were successful after NUJ members vote on the terms of the agreement.

The remainder of the 60 journalists affected by the contract change will be made redundant. Subject to agreement by the NUJ members, a voluntary redundancy deal will offer staff three weeks’ pay for every year of service at ITN. In addition there will be a lump sum payment of £4,000 for those with less than four years’ service on Five News; £5,000 for between four and seven years’ service; and £6,000 for more than seven years’ service.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Those who agree to voluntary redundancy will be allowed to leave ITN on 17 December – two weeks before the Five News contract ends – but will be paid until the end of the year.

“ITN Five News staff have been held to ransom ever since Sky placed Five News job adverts in The Guardian,” said NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear.

“Despite the inadequacy of UK employment legislation, the NUJ has been fighting ever since to save members jobs and protect their terms and conditions. Our negotiators have won significant concessions and it is now up to ITN members to decide whether they accept them or not,” he added.

The union will present details of the agreement to ITN journalists at a chapel meeting this Friday (30 July).

Chris Shaw, senior controller of programmes at Five, said: “What we’ve strived to achieve here is the smooth transition from one service to another with a minimum of pain for all those who have been working on Five News.”

By Wale Azeez

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network